Many employees have been fired because it turns out they are less qualified than the post they hold in an organisation, butmust an employee be sacked because he is more qualified than the post he holds? Or put in another way, should employers turn down a job candidate because he is too qualified for the post he is applying for? In another word, what happens when you are more educated and professionally certified than your employer? Is it any fault of yours if you land a job that suits you but at which you are more than qualified?

Professionally speaking, many job candidates have been forced to go for more education instead of wasting time seeking non-existent jobs. And the reason for this is not far-fetched: they believe they will land a job of their choice if they were more qualified – and they are actually right to have taken this wise step. This ends up making them more academically qualified than jobs they eventually apply for, or even making them more qualified than their bosses and employers. The question now is:should you be more educated than your boss or employer?

You cannot help it if you’re more qualified than your boss or employer. You never set out to be more qualified than your boss and employer, and your employer should seek ways to leverage on your education and qualification experiences rather than feel threatened by it. You must be very humble if you happen to be more qualified than your employer, and you must do your job with all commitment and passion without seeming condescending in any manner. You are there for your salary and career growth, not to compete with anybody on the basis of education or experience – in fact, it is better you go set up your own business if you feel so educated and experienced to work for anybody.

Being more educated and certified or experienced at your job gives you the advantage of being a master as your assigned jobs, and it also places you at a position of leadership. You are positioned for an upward rise in the organisation and set to fulfil your career dreams of being a team leader and even managing core aspects of the organisation’s systems. It also helps you to earn more and live the kinds of lifestyles others could only dream of; while helping you to direct events as they relate to your organisation and its publics and industry. You may not be able to prevent people envying you at your qualifications and rise, but you can be very understanding and sympathetic about it.

If job managers and employers do not feel like hiring you due to your “over-qualifications”, then they are actually saying –

-We can’t pay you enough because your salary expectations will be higher than what the role deserves.

-You will get bored with this job because you are only taking it out of desperation.

-You may find it difficult and tasking working or taking orders from a less qualified and experienced boss.

-You might leave as soon as you get a higher paying job elsewhere and where would that leave us?

-You may be full of yourself and condescending at working with others.

If you have a feeling that job interviewers or current employers have these feeling toward you, then it is your duty to allay them of these fears and prove you can do much better than they think you capable of – not minding your academic qualifications and acquired experience.